Housing Repairs and Maintenance

Housing Repairs

For housing repairs contact the Housing Repairs Service.  You can do this either by telephone 01595 744399 or email housingrepairs@shetland.gov.uk.  Please telephone in the first instance for emergency repairs.  Please contact Housing Repairs if you have any concerns around safe working.

Housing Repair & Maintenance Policy

Responsibility for Repairs

The responsibility for repairs to Council houses is shared between the Council and the tenant.
In general, we are responsible for maintaining the fabric and permanent fittings of the building.
You are responsible for internal decoration, furnishings and removable fittings like clothes lines, TV aerials, curtain rails, light bulbs and so on.

The Housing Repairs Team can offer advice and information on any repair queries.

Timescales for completing Repairs

There are different categories of housing repairs for tenants: Emergency, Urgent, Routine, 3 Month, 6 Months and Minor Social Work Adaptations . You have the right to a repair being done within the timescales set out below.

Out of Hours Emergency Repairs (completed within 24 hours)
  • Completely blocked flue to open fire, boiler, room heater, solid fuel cooker
  • Burst or severely leaking hot or cold water service pipes, tank, cylinder, boiler
  • Total loss of electric power or heating
  • Broken window (may be recharged to tenant)
  • Broken glass in external doors (may be recharged to tenant)
  • Tenant locked out of house (will be recharged to tenant)
  • No water throughout house
  • All other repairs to be attended to during normal working hours
Emergency Repairs (completed within 24 hours)
  • Repairs to locks on external doors or windows, where house is insecure
  • Partially blocked flue to open fire, boiler, room heater, solid fuel cooker
  • Leaking water pipes
  • Blocked toilet, soil pipe, drain or sink (where not dealt with above)
  • Partial loss of electric power (eg all lights, all sockets or bathroom light)
  • Total loss of hot water
  • Loss of heating in Living room (other individual rooms Routine Repairs)
  • Toilets not flushing - where there is no other toilet in the house
  • All other repairs to be attended to in a lesser category
Urgent Repairs (completed within 3 working days)
  • Dripping waste/water pipe (containable)
  • All emergency lighting (Sheltered Housing)
  • Single light not working - except bathroom light (see Emergency Repairs)
  • Loss of heating in more than one room
  • Broken (not loose) WC seat
  • Walls, roof, doors and windows leaking
  • Repairs on safety issues eg loose stairs handrail, loose kitchen wall unit, damaged flooring
  • Repair/replace smoke detector
  • Broken glass in roomheater
  • Urgent safety issues on external works
  • Replacement firebars to solid fuel appliances or glass to roomheaters
  • All other repairs to be attended to at a lesser category
Routine repairs (completed within 20 working days)
  • Clear gutters and downpipes
  • Ease internal/external doors
  • Repairs to loose door/window handles
  • Repairs to kitchen units
  • Repairs to gates and fences
  • Replacing tap washers
  • Refix loose taps
3 month repairs (completed within 3 calendar months)
  • Replumb a property
  • Install a level access shower
6 month repairs (completed within 6 calendar months)
  • Replace faulty Double Glazing units
Minor Social Work Adaptations (completed within 5 working days)
Major Social Work Adaptations

Major social work adaptations can be prioritised as Urgent, Routine or 3 Months. The priority is determined by a number of factors including external contractor
availability, design input and obtaining statutory consents.

Void Repairs

For Void repair priorities please see the Voids Policy.

The Right to Repair

If specific repairs are not carried out within the timescales given, you have the right to request that another contractor completes the repair at a cost to the Council. These repairs and further information on how to use the Right to Repair is detailed on the Scottish Government website. If you think you need to ask for the Right to Repair, the local Contractor information is available on the Right to Repair page.

Charges for Repairs

You may be charged for certain repairs.  You are responsible for repairing any damage caused by you, or any member of your household or visitor to your home.  If you caused the damage and we carry out the repair we can charge you for the work.  You may also be charged for lock changes, if you have lost your keys.

 

Tenant Feedback

When you have had a repair completed, we will ask you for your feedback. We appreciate comments on the service you receive and this helps us review how we deliver our services to tenants.